The Monk's Kettle Opening The Abbot's Cellar at 740 Valencia

Photo from Google.

The bar at the Monk’s Kettle.

Big news about who is moving into the 740 Valencia Street space after the Town Hall partners decided to pass on it: the owners of the ~MONK’S KETTLE~, Christian Albertson and Nat Cutler, will be opening ~THE ABBOT’S CELLAR~, a craft beer-focused restaurant. They just signed the lease, and are aiming to open by the winter.

While the Monk’s Kettle is more of a neighborhood tavern, this 100-seat restaurant (with 60-70 seats in the dining room, and 35 seats at the bar and kitchen counter) will be higher-end, focusing on craft beer and food pairings. There will be a brick hearth, and the food menu will feature a daily changing menu of gourmet American and European fare with a strong emphasis on locally and sustainably sourced products. Pairings will be fine-tuned between chef Adam Dulye (who has been made a partner) and the directors of the beer program—look for frequent adjustments due to seasonal produce and the availability of specialty beers.

The beer selection will also be more tightly focused than at Monk’s Kettle, with an emphasis on food-friendly beers. There will be 24 taps, with beers kept at different temperatures, depending on the style (most domestic craft beers and lighter styles will be kept around 40 degrees, while Belgians, stouts, and higher-alcohol beers will be kept closer to 50 degrees). Two more drafts will be drawn from hand-pump cask engines, plus there will be over 100 selections on the bottle list, including vintage offerings from the cellar and flights.

The building, formerly an auto garage called John’s Jaguars, has been converted into three retail spaces. The 3,000-square-foot Abbot’s Cellar will occupy the center space, with exposed brick on several walls, 24-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling wooden beams and supporting trusses, and several skylights. Lundberg Design (Charles Phan’s favorite architect) will be overseeing architectural design. There will be a glass-enclosed beer cellar, and a tall back bar showcasing the many types of glassware used in the beer program.

One item of note in the meantime: over at the Monk’s Kettle, Jeff Segal of ~HEART~ wine bar (also in the Mission) is now doing their wine list. Look for an inventive wine list, with some “renegade picks” from Segal.